Drexel University students share new discoveries in the world of digital sports media

FIFA Women’s World Cup is a TV ratings bonanza and then some (Micah Sokolsky)

Television ratings for the 2015 Women’s World Cup have been off the charts in the United States. But are the ratings higher than in previous years because of the accessibility fans have to the stations (FOX Networks) or from the rise in soccer’s popularity in our country? The games can be seen on almost every device no matter where a person is. This article has the viewing take place at a local gym where the author was watching the USA vs. Germany game on the television monitor on her treadmill, while weightlifters halted their exercising to view the game on the television monitors planted on the walls. “An average audience of 8.4 million viewers saw Tuesday’s U.S. 2-0 triumph, peaking to 12.1 million by the time it was over. That’s the greatest audience for a men’s or women’s World Cup semifinal game in U.S. history. For a game with a 4 p.m. weeknight start, L.A. market’s 6.1 rating was actually better than the national average of 6.0.” Granted, the US Men’s National Team only made the semi-finals in the 1930 World Cup (with probably little to no television coverage), the women’s team has stolen the show and the viewership will probably only be greater in this year’s World Cup Final. In the 1999 final, there were almost 18 million viewers to watch the US win and 13.5 million to watch the US lose to Japan in 2011. My guess is both of those numbers will be shattered due to the game being shown on a Sunday night, accessibility to FOX stations, and the rise in soccer’s popularity in the United States.